Chapter 115: Only Two People Died

Northeast China, Harbin, Taiping Airport.

"Come on, come on, Nangang District is short of one person, get in the car and go!"

"Downtown, is there anyone walking downtown? Where are you going, young man? Are you alone?"

"Daowai, Daowai District, do you want to go to Daowai?"

Late at night, more than a dozen drivers stood at the arrival gate of the terminal, shouting and soliciting passengers. Most of the passengers lowered their heads, turned a deaf ear to them and quickly broke through the obstruction. A small number of passengers who did not know what was going on only needed to say a word to be rushed forward by drivers who dragged them away.

The young man in a classic boy fashion jacket and moccasins rolled his eyes in annoyance: "How much does it cost to go to Daowai?"

"Two hundred, that's the price, let's get in the car and go." A middle-aged male driver with an unshaven beard and a pungent smell of cigarettes said first.

The young man chewed gum and shook his head: "I am a local in the city. Brother, don't treat me as a bumpkin from the five counties outside. Give me a fair price."

"Yeah, I can tell from the accent."

The middle-aged male driver smiled and looked around: "Then come with me, I'll give you a discount, and you pay me last when you get on the bus, and don't tell other passengers."

As he was about to pull the suitcase of the trendy guy, the latter immediately sighed: "No, tell me how much it is first."

"...Can you just give me 180? The airport buses are going to stop late at night, so let me earn some money." Seeing this, the middle-aged driver had to reluctantly quote a price.

The trendy young man curled his lips and said, "You are not making any money at all. Are you trying to pick my basket?! Ouch, ouch, ouch, I won't talk to you about this."

"Brother, you asked me to name a price and I did. How can you just leave? That's not how you do things. Give me a price, at least." The middle-aged male driver frowned.

The trendy young man squinted his eyes and thought for a while: "Okay, one hundred yuan, not a cent more."

"Brother, did you shed tears after singing Behind Bars? Five years ago, the price of a taxi from the airport to Daowai was 100 yuan. Now you go around the airport asking around. If the price is less than 150 yuan, I will chop off my head for you!" The middle-aged male driver was so angry that he laughed and swore loudly.

The attention of the colleagues around was drawn to the conversation, and they couldn't help but join in, mocking and ridiculing them as if they were idiots.

"Fuck, that's why I say you're just stinky drivers. It's fucking terrible that you're uneducated!"

The young man was also very angry. He took out his phone and opened the Didi travel app while saying something dirty. He said, "It's only 50 yuan to take a taxi from the airport to Daowai, and you don't have to share a car. I gave you yuan because you work hard and you can help me carry my luggage without waiting for the car."

"You guys are the camels of the new era. Take some time to study online!"

These words instantly aroused public anger. More than a dozen drivers came forward and surrounded him, scolding him. The atmosphere was tense and ready to explode into a fight at any time.

The passengers passing by were used to it and pretended not to see anything. A team of patrolling security guards in black uniforms came staggering over.

The captain, who was leading the group with his shirt open, put his hands on his belt and walked lazily in a square step: "If you have anything to say, go out and tell me. Don't make things difficult for me."

"Okay, I won't cause you any trouble."

Among the drivers, a man with a scar on his face and a lot of prestige quickly offered a cigarette to the security captain, then turned around and waved: "Take him out."

"Don't touch me, no one, I'm not going anywhere."

The young man waved his hands to break free from the drivers' pull. His BOY short-sleeved shirt gradually became deformed. He shouted to the security captain: "I want to call the police. I don't believe there is no law!"

"You should reflect on yourself first. Why did they touch you instead of others?" The security captain said this and walked out of the terminal with the prestigious scar-faced driver arm in arm to smoke.

The other drivers looked at each other and stopped trying to forcibly pull the young man with trendy brands. The middle-aged male driver crossed his arms and sneered: "I want to see how you get out of the terminal tonight."

"You're bragging! The airport is owned by your family and you haven't released it yet?"

The security captain managed to calm the situation down. Although the trendy young man felt a little timid, he still managed to maintain his composure. With a smart look in his eyes, he called a Didi car and retreated to the security check entrance to wait.

The drivers stared at him with ill intent for a while. A few minutes later, passengers from a new flight appeared at the arrival gate. The drivers dispersed angrily and continued to shout and solicit passengers.

After smoking a cigarette, the security captain returned to the arrival hall, glanced at the trendy young man squatting in the security check channel and making a phone call, smiled and nodded at the middle-aged male driver who was standing not far away and glared, then left with a square step.

"Gangzi, go out and have a cigarette." The driver with a scar on his face patted the middle-aged male driver on the shoulder.

The two walked out of the terminal in silence, lit up a cigarette and took a few puffs. Scarface coughed and said, "Nowadays, these brats are so ignorant and need to be disciplined. Sooner or later, they will meet a tough guy and get beaten up."

"I'm in my 40s or 50s, the same age as his father, and he talks to me like he has no teeth."

The middle-aged male driver took a deep puff of his cigarette and looked up at the sky. "That kid doesn't even know his mother's words Luotuo Xiangzi, yet he's dressed slickly and rides on an airplane. I've been working at the airport for so many years, but I've never been willing to take a ride. Every year, I have to squeeze into a green train for more than ten hours from Harbin to my father-in-law's house in Tianjin for the New Year."

"Brother Qiang, do you think I feel aggrieved after being lectured by him?"

Scarface smiled softly and said, "You've made some money in the past two years, right? It's not a good idea to work for a company every day. Why don't you buy a taxi and drive it yourself? It can be used when you have something to do at home."

"You can't save the money you earn. You know my eldest daughter studies art and needs three to five thousand yuan every month."

The middle-aged male driver stamped out his cigarette in frustration: "Besides, I don't know what's going on this year. The taxis are getting worse day by day. The monthly share fee to the company has almost risen to 2,000 yuan. Since last month, the fee for converting from gasoline to gas has increased by another 200 yuan, and they also don't allow us to use online ride-hailing platforms to accept orders."

“That doesn’t really make sense.”

Scarface shook his head helplessly. The official announcement that taxis are not allowed to use online ride-hailing platforms to accept orders is a strict prohibition, but it has no effect on private cars and it all depends on everyone to report illegal passenger transportation.

The subsidy intensity for online ride-hailing services is obvious. The news reported that Didi and Kuaidi have burned hundreds of millions of dollars this month to attract passengers. Illegal taxi drivers have all switched to online ride-hailing platforms. If this continues, full-time taxi drivers will starve to death.

Scarface suppressed his annoyance and changed the subject to comfort him, "What grade is your eldest daughter in?"

"Third year of high school, at the High School Affiliated to Shenyang Conservatory of Music."

"How was studying?"

"The child is sensible. Her mother and I can't afford to delay her. Other children are enrolled in cram schools and often give thousands of yuan in red envelopes to teachers. We can't compare."

"Don't say that. As parents, we can do our best. What can we do if our child is born into a family like ours? It all depends on her."

"Don't mention it. The child had to pay 10,000 yuan for her own tuition when school started at the beginning of this month... She ran out to sell alcohol at nightclubs every night after we fell asleep, and sneaked home after get off work at two or three in the morning. She kept it a secret for the entire summer vacation... Her mother beat her, and she cried while she beat her..."

The cigarette butts were alternating between light and dark, and the ashes had all dissipated. The middle-aged male driver and the scarred man returned to the arrival hall. He looked at the trendy young man squatting at the security checkpoint playing with his mobile phone, and put his hand in his pocket to squeeze his thin wallet.

He turned around, walked to the railing and opened his voice, his voice was still loud and powerful...

"Idiot." The trendy young man watched for a moment and cursed inwardly, then brushed off the non-existent dust on the uppers of his shoes and walked out of the terminal with his suitcase.

Holding the phone, he looked around and found a black private car parked on the side of the road. He matched the license plate number and stood there waving to the driver to come over.

"Open the trunk."

He spat the gum onto the ground and lit a cigarette. He was really tired of squatting in the room for a long time.

The young male driver with oiled hair and Bluetooth headphones rolled down the window and made an OK gesture, while he kept saying something and looked like he was on the phone.

"What kind of service attitude..."

The trendy young man put the suitcase into the trunk and was about to open the door when the scar-faced driver appeared out of nowhere and held the door.

It was dark at night, and the young driver wearing Bluetooth headphones didn't see the two people clearly. He thought they were together, and he was busy on the phone, saying in a sonorous and powerful voice: "The airport is not run by taxi drivers. I just pick up passengers and leave. We all know each other. No one can do anything to me..."

"It's okay. I've made several trips this month. The platform subsidies are much higher than short-distance trips in the city... I've easily earned 5,000 yuan so far this month. After this order, I'll go home tonight and have some barbecue and go to a nightclub..."

"...I'll treat you. Come on. There's a new little bee selling drinks at Oscar Nightclub. She looks really cool... She's talented. She graduated from a professional art school... She's only seventeen or eighteen. Her skin and legs are so tender to the touch. Hey... Let's go support her... We have to. She's been the best tongue-twisting girl in Daowai for many years. I have to make her legs weak..."

"Boom."

With a loud bang, the left rearview mirror of the car was kicked into pieces.

"Drafting? You...Brother Qiang..." The young driver wearing Bluetooth headphones looked embarrassed.

Scarface reached out and ripped off his earphones, threw them on the ground and crushed them: "Ma Gan, are you going to drive an online ride-hailing car instead of driving an illegal taxi?"

"Brother Qiang, I, I just got out today and this is my first job." The young driver got out of the car with a stiff expression and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

Scarface raised his hand to block it: "Then you are unlucky. The first job today is to illegally pick up passengers. After paying the fine for the money you earn this month, can you still go to a nightclub to show your tongue?"

"Brother Qiang, I have cancelled my online ride-hailing account and will not accept orders from it anymore." The young driver promised through gritted teeth.

"The rules are set by everyone. You run around the city taking orders. No one can do anything to you."

Scarface tilted his head to look at the young man who looked dissatisfied but didn't dare to speak: "You can't come to the airport. Everyone has a family with many mouths to feed. They can't tolerate people who ruin the rice pot."

"Brother Qiang, I know the rules. Here's one thousand yuan. You can treat my brothers to a meal on my behalf. I'll visit your house again tomorrow. Can you please let me go today? After all, the passengers are waiting." The young driver turned around and took out his wallet from the car and counted out one thousand yuan.

Scarface looked at him for a moment, then laughed for no apparent reason. The scar on his face moved, making him look hideous and disgusting. "You are so sensible. I am embarrassed to embarrass you."

"Brother, I am making things difficult for you today. I have never given you any trouble during festivals in the past, and I will definitely make things difficult for you in the future. If it happens again next time, I will buy a hammer and smash the car myself!"

The young driver breathed a sigh of relief as he felt he had found the right direction, and expressed his attitude even more righteously.

Scarface smiled and waved his hands, patting his neck, like a father patting his son. He picked up the phone, dialed the number, said only two words "come out" and hung up.

Then there were the sounds of footsteps coming from the taxi waiting area, and a dozen drivers armed with knives and iron bars came over aggressively.

"Amomum villosum, help!"

Seeing that the situation was not good, the trendy young man let out a yell, threw down his suitcase, turned around and ran into the terminal with his crotch clamped.

"Smash the car for me!"

Scarface grabbed the young driver by the collar and said, "Just stand here and watch me. If you dare to move, I will kill you."

"No, no, no, Brother Qiang, please spare me this time!"

The young driver's eyes turned red and he tried his best to stop the car, but he saw the windows of the car, which he had bought only two years ago, shattered, the door dented and large areas of paint scratched. He struggled too violently and his elbow hit the scarred man's chin hard.

His lips were scratched and wet with the salty taste of blood. Scarface took the knife from his companion without saying a word and started swinging. There were screams all around and the young driver fell to the ground.

"Stop fighting, stop it right there, Qiangzi, give me some face and stop fighting!"

The captain of the airport security team rushed over quickly, followed by a large group of team members holding explosion-proof forks. The trendy young man Gougou followed behind him stealthily, holding a mobile phone.

"You have the face of a bastard. If you dare to come over here, I will fucking skin you alive!"

I don't know who was shouting in the crowd. The atmosphere was silent for a few seconds, and then someone responded: "Yes, we have endured the daily bribery, but now they forbid us from taking orders. If they don't leave us a way out, then no one will survive!"

"Use the call center to call people over and smash all the online ride-hailing vehicles blocking the airport intersection!"

"And that brat, he's the one who called the online taxi. Gangzi, fuck him!"

There were more and more drivers, some had just arrived at the airport, and some had heard the noise and came out from the terminal. Some went straight to the trendy guy hiding behind the security team.

The blood flowed on the ground in winding ways, but in the night it showed no red, only a deep, sticky black.

…………

In the early morning of the capital city, the lights are bright.

Cheng Wei suddenly sat up from the bed, his heart beating rapidly, and he swallowed his saliva with difficulty, "Say it again?!"

"At present, it can be confirmed that two people have died and more than a dozen people have been injured. The two deceased have been confirmed to be a Didi driver and a Didi passenger." Liu Qing's voice trembled on the other end of the phone.

Cheng Wei rubbed the sweat from his palms onto the bed sheet: "What do the local officials say? We have to go there immediately!"

"No matter what the local officials say, there were only two dead!"

Liu Qing took a breath and said, "Contacting Tencent and Alibaba is not just our business. It's not just us who are anxious now. The local officials are also anxious!"

"Also call Xie Jingxing and ask him to return home immediately. The incident happened in the Northeast."

Cheng Wei hung up the phone with a throbbing pain in his temples. He got out of bed, but his legs softened and he sat back down. He adjusted his breathing and dialed the number: "Assistant Song, Didi has had an accident. We need President Xie to return to China as soon as possible."

"What's the matter?" Song Anli asked.

Cheng Wei opened his mouth several times and squeezed out two words from his teeth: "Quit the rebellion."

(End of this chapter)